From: Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 13:57:36 -0400 Subject: Action-Alert:La. Com. Discrimina **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** LOUISIANA ELECTORATE of GAYS AND LESBIANS (LEGAL) PO Box 70344 New Orleans, LA 70172-0344 504/525-7117 LEGALinc@aol.com Brian Hartig Exec. Dir. Louisiana's ONLY statewide non-profit lesbian and gay human rights organization. **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** Attention! Recently, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the city's mayor, Robert W. Williams, refused once again to appoint an openly gay PWA, Robert Darrow, to the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission. The commission, which ensures protection based, amongst other things, upon sexual orientation states that a few of its goals are to "eliminate prejudice and discrimination in the city; and to encourage equality and fairness in the Shreveport area." The Mayor's reasoning behind not appointing Darrow to the Commission? "I've tried to appoint people to boards and commissions who are looking out for the entire city and not just a special interest," Mayor Williams said. ****************************************************************************** * WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP Now follows a letter written by the Director of Louisiana Electorate of Gays And Lesbians (LEGAL). It contains LEGAL's thoughts on the matter. Call or write a letter with YOUR thoughts on the matter and contact the Mayor of Shreveport, The Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission and/or The Shreveport Times. Dear Editor, Robert Darrow, a gay friend of mine who is also a PWA, wrote to me telling me why Shreveport's Mayor Robert W. Williams refused -- once again -- to appoint Darrow to the Board of the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission. How hypocritical can someone get? The Commission supposedly protects people based upon, amongst other reasons, their sexual orientation, but Williams refuses to appoint an openly gay person to the commission that supposedly protect us. Am I going around in circles? Sounds exactly like what the Mayor of Shreveport is doing. Mayor Williams -- a member of a minority group himself (Williams is disabled, confined to wheelchair) -- said, when asked by a television reporter whether he would be uncomfortable appointing a gay person to the commission in such a conservative city, that it is "a concern," and that he's "tried to appoint people to boards and commissions who are looking out for the entire city and not just a special interest." Are there African-Americans on the board who don't look after the African-American community as well as those other groups who are often discriminated against? Isn't this why they were appointed? Sounds a bit unfair to me. It sounds as though the Mayor Williams is speaking out of two sides of his mouth while the Christian Coalition-types, who are the ones doing the arm twisting, are standing behind him and reminding him of who they think put him into office. The purpose of the commission? "(T)o study problems in relationships between the various racial, religious, ethnic, and disabled groups in our city in order to foster mutual respect and understanding; eliminate prejudice and discrimination in the city; and to encourage equality and fairness in the Shreveport area." The goals of the commission? "(T)o help our citizens understand, enjoy, and benefit from their diversity. Solicit the views of business, community, religious, and education leaders about the problems of cultural prjudice. Promote dialogue and the exchange of information which can lead to cooperation and sharing." It doesn't appear to me that this is being done or even that these goals are even being persued. Perhaps the minorities placed on the commission make the the conservatives in power look good. It helps them to show the people of Shreveport what apparently isn't true -- that these conservatives really aren't "all for themselves" and against those unlike them. But the mayor's latest statement speaks volumes in regards to their true feelings about the commission -- that it should pursue its lofty goals, just as long as these "token" minorities don't do anything too radical (like ask for their human rights or ask for the human rights of other groups.) BRIAN HARTIG Exec Dir of Louisiana Electorate of Gays And Lesbians (LEGAL) TO write The Shreveport Times: letters@thetimes.com or snailmail at The Editor of The Times, 222 Lake St, Shreveport, LA 71101 (provide your telephone number for verification), or call: 1-800-462-6436 TO write the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission: 401 Market St, Suite 540, Shreveport, LA 71101, or call: 1-318-673-5069 TO write Mayor Robert W. Williams: PO Box 31109, Shreveport, LA 71130 or call : 1-318-673-5050 end.